Rebels (Canoerebel) vs. Redcoats (Miller) - Big B 192

[Canoerebel]

1/1/42 to 1/6/42

Miller and I quickly played six turns that were mostly uneventful. That and a busy work schedule left me unable to update in the detail I'd like. Here's what's happened the first six days of the New Year....

1/1/42 - Brit TF bombards Moulmein inflicting 59 casualties. I-10 begins to haunt Pago Pago, shelling AK Kailua. The Japanese 5th and 18th Divisions are a hex west of Kota Bharu finishing off isolated Allied ground units. The KBs have eluded my recon for a turn or two. I start worrying about the possibility of raids toward Hawaii, Line Islands, or points south where I have alot of vulernable shipping.

1/2/42 - I-10 puts 3 TT in an AK; Two powerful Japanese combat TFs (4BB, 4CA in one, 3 BB and 4CA in the other) strike Singapore inflicting 1989/51/2 and 1554/23/3. Ouch. Allies re-bombard Moulmein inflicting 53/1/1. Japanese 35th Division is at Kaifing (China) and attacks a few weak guerilla units.

1/3/42 - Miller lands at Buin; MSW Quail, just five hexes east of Tokyo, is sunk by Kates based at Onimoto. The other two Forlorn Hopes continue unscathed. SS Cachelot torpedoes at PC at Truk and suffers moderate damage from depth charges; Japanese 15th Division is at Nanching. A deliberate attack at Hong Kong takes the city, casting a pall over the Allies. [:(]

1/4/42 - KB shows back up near Banjermasin; beginning several turns of attacks against Batavia and Soerabaja. Honestly, I'm glad to have the KB committed there, far away from juicy targets. Two Allied AKs arrive at Singapore and begin unloading supplies. Both are soon hit by bombers; one sinks while the other limps toward Columbo.

1/5/42 - SS Tambor torpedoes PC Toshi Maru at Truk.

1/6/42 - Miller launches a deliberate attack at Moulmein - 0:1 with 2 forts yields 1075/37/1 Japanese casualties to 334/12.

The situation as of 1/6/42:

Malaya: No Japanese units at Singapore. Miller's bombardments and bombings hurt, but garrision should hold for awhile. Miller is momentarily blocked at Moulmein.

India: British division arrives at Aden, but I don't have transport ships to carry them to India. My bad. I've sent some APs that way. Brits withdrew the required CL and 2 DDs.

China: Seems like Miller is hanging back here.

PI: Miller's airforce is bombing the Allied troops at Manila and Battaan; his ground troops at Manila are bombarding each turn. No signs of cracking yet.

Java: Other than the KB blasting cities, this area is quiet. No invasion yet.

Solomons: Miller has taken Kaeving, Tulagi, Shortlands, and Buin, but hasn't made a move on Rabaul yet.

New Guinea: Quiet; Allies have resupplied Port Moresby. I'm not positive that's a good idea.

Australia: Enterprise is here.

South Pacific: Some reinforcements are making for Palmyra, Johnston, Pago Pago and Suva, but I'll reevaluate those moves based upon perceived threats when the transports finally near their destinations (they are a long way off).

Pearl Harbor: Mines at something like 12,000 now. Some reinforcements shall arrive soon. All damaged BBs have left for the West Coast (Nevada is already in San Fran).

US CVs: One in Australia, two on the West Coast, and Yorktown just arrived at Panama City sans escorts. She'll stay there until her escorts arrive (they trickle in over a three week period).

I'll be out of town a week, so no further updates until about June 10. But, as noted in the main forum, WITP is Wargame Crack and I'll be thinking about my strategy while out of town. I'm trying to think of a way for the Allies to go on the offensive by mid-January 1942....maybe I can invade the home islands.

[Canoerebel]

1/7 to 1/9/42

Gathering for the Attack: Miller continues to gather forces for the upcoming battles of Manila, Singapore, and Moulmein. On 1/7/42 two Japanese divisions march out of Canton - one each in the two adjacent hexes. Both attack the Chinese units in those hexes and both suffer stinging repulses. On 1/9/42 on of his tank units shows up at Yenen and launches a unsuccessful shock attack. The KB disappears - probably steaming north in the South China Sea. With nearly all of Miller's firepower concentrated in China, Burma, Phillipines, and Singapore, the rest of the map is quiet. The Allies use this time to shift forces and work on logistics. Two B-17 squadrons arrive in Australia and will eventually move to SE Asia or Burma or Phillipines.

1/7 - 11 B-17s from Rangoon hit the 55th Division at Moulmein inflicting 27/1; KB hits Singapore from 3 hexes to the SE - 9 planes downed; 4 PT put 2 TT into PG Taiko Maru and send it to the bottom; Allies lose no aircraft this turn while Miller loses 30. To date, Miller has lost 579 aircraft and I've lost 635.

1/8 - Three powerful bombardment TF hit Singapore inflicting 1015/14, 2680/19/1, and 2832/15. Force Z makes its first appearance, bombarding Victoria Point and destroying 3 aircraft. Miller employs Zeros to strafe PTs and sinks several.

1/9 - I-173 puts a TT into AK Cator at Pago Pago. Shock attack at Singapore at 0:1 costs Miller 1593/41/5 and Allies lose 1071/16.

[Canoerebel]

01/10/42

Small Craft: I-173 torpedoes an AK at Pago Pago; I-8 torpedoes an AK near Rockhampton. Miller's Zeros strafe PTs, damaging several and sinking one.

Malaya: Brit TF bombards Moulmein inflicting 71/3 on the Japanese 55th Division. Another Japanese division arrives at Singapore, launching an shock attack on its own. The attack is handily repulsed, but the Allies lose more troops than the Japanese. Miller now has three divisions here.

PI: Miller has three divisions here also, but only bombards.

China: Chinese launch shock attack at Yenen, evicting the lone Japanese tank regiment, which loses 263 men and 11 vehicles.

Allied CVs: Brit CV is in Ceylon; Enterprise is in Melbourne; Sara and Lex are on the West Coast; York is in Panama City.

KBs: It's been three days since the last sighting - likely heading north in the South China Sea.

Reinforcements: I just noticed the steep PP cost to reassign a US Army division to another area, so I won't transfer any from the West Coast for awhile.

Supplies: A few large convoys and many small ones are moving between the West Coast and Hawaii; and many small convoys between Pearl/West Coast and CenPac and SouthPac. If I lose track of the KB for an extended period, I'll begin to take action to get these ships to safety. Don't want wolves loose among sheep.

Strategic Situation: I'll feel good as long as Miller is tied down in Singapore and Manila; as soon as one or both of the bastions fall, uh oh.

Ship Losses: Neither side has suffered serious losses here; the largest combat ships sunk have been single CLs for each side.

Aircraft Losses: Nearly even now. Miller has lost alot on various bombing runs and to operational losses. 1:1 air losses at this point in the game?

[Canoerebel]

1/11/42 - 1/13/42
 
a)  1/11 - I-8 makes a nuisance of itself at Pago Pago, putting 1 TT into AK Wawa and 5 TT [X(] in AK Montanes.  I-169 at Suva puts 4 TT into AP Chaumont and 2 TT into MSW Robin.  Glug Glug. Three strong combat TFs bombard Singapore inflicting a total of 3706/32/1.  Ouch.  Brit CA TF bombards Moulmein inflicting 17/1.  The Japanese force at Singapore includes 4th, 21st, 5th, and Imperial Guards Divisions and 2nd, 6th, and 14th Tank Regiments.  A shock attacks costs the Japanese 1450/34/4 to 267/13.  Japanese have three divisons at Manila (2nd, 16th, 48th).
 
b)  1/12 - Force Z bombards Victoria Point inflicting 259/4.  The Brit CAs return to Moulmein and are hit by 26 Betties flying out of Bangkok.  CA Exeter takes 2 TT and CA Cornwall 1.  both suffer light-moderate damage and beat a hasty retreat toward Diamond Head.  Another shock attack at Singapore hurts Miller (396/29/1) more than the Allies (45/0/0).  Another bombardment at Manila.
 
c)  1/13 - 17th Mixed Brigade (Japanese) takes Wenchow.  Bombardments at Manila, Moulmein and Singapore.  A US sub hits CS Chitose with a TT in the South China Sea, but the torp fails to detonate.  I think Chitose is part of the Mini-KB.  No sign of the KB.  I decide to concentrate on defending Pago Pago rather than Suva, as I had at first planned to do.  Three small B-17 squadrons relocate from Rangoon to Chunking.  A large B-17 squadron moves from Australia to Soerabaja.  I plan to strike Kuching tomorrow.
 
Summary:  Miller continues to focus on Singapore and Manila with sideshows at Moulmein and in China.  Elsewhere is completely quiet at the moment (with the exception of several annoying Japanese subs and Miller's Zeros which continue to strafe and bomb my PT squadrons).  The main activity on the eastern half of the map involves logistics and mine laying.

[Canoerebel]

1/14/42 to 1/21/42

Miller and I played eight turns in 24 hours, but WitP is NOT wargame crack, right?

Status: Over the past eight turns, the strategic situation has not changed. Singapore continues to hold, though some cracks have developed in the dike; Manila continues to withstand daily bombardments and large bombing raids; and Moulmein is fairly quiet with minor bombardments. The east half of the map remains remarkably quiet. The KB has completely disappeared. I think she's either headed to Japan for rest or perhaps is steaming east, hoping to creep up on the thus-far quiet backwaters in Cen- and SouthPac.

1/14 - Three combat TFs bombard Singapore inflicting 1831/23/0. A small Allied TF bombards Buin inflicting 23/2. Miller orders a deliberate attack at Moulmein, suffering 209/7/1 to 35/2. SS 21 puts 1 TT into CA Atago near Singapore. Miller reveals in an email that Atago was hit hard.

1/15 - Hurricanes based in Rangoon cover Moulmein and down a Zero, 4 Nells, and 4 Sally against two losses. Miller gets revenge over Manila by downing 12 Allied craft to just two of his own. The Chinese launch a shock attack at Puching and evict the 2nd Mixed Brigade which loses 38/2 against Chinese losses of 105/1. Total aircraft losses in the game are now even: 699 to 699.

1/16 - 4 PTs near Manila torpedo AK Maebasi Maru. 19 B-17s from Soerabaja hit Kuching and tangle with 16 Zeros, downing one. My hero sub, Truant, puts 2 TT into Tayama Maru. Deliberate attack at Singapore yields a 1:1 (uh oh) and lowers forts to 5 - losses are (Japs) 1049/63/6 to (Allies) 805/27.

1/17 - CA Chokai hits a mine near Singapore (CA Suzuya suffered same fate about ten days ago). Seal and Sargo both put fish into AKs in the South China Sea. Another 1:1 deliberate attack at Singapore yields (Japs) 792/31/5 to (Allies) 774/20.

1/18 - I-9 puts two TT into AK Empire Morn at Rangoon. I-26 puts 1 TT into AK Lycaor at Brisbane. Bettys and Nells hit shipping unloading supplies at Rangoon, sinking two AKs. Bombardments at Manila, Singapore, Moulmein.

1/19 - Subs go crazy. I-9 finishes off Empire Morn; I-154 torpedos three ships (TK and two AK) and Diamond Harbor; I-26 torpedoes 2 ships (CL Java and an AK) near Brisbane; I-5 torpedoes DD John Edwards at Townsville. The only Allied hit is when S-39 torpedoes an AK near Luzon. B-17s hit Kuching destroy 4 Jap aircraft and lose two of their own. Hurricanes on long range cap over Changsha ambush Miller's strike, downing 10 Nates and 3 Anns.

1/20 - A bombardment TF hits Singapore (just one - so where did the other two go? Off to join the KB on some important mission elsewhere?) and inflicts 1649/28. Porpoise torpedoes 2 AKs near Kiungshan. Deliberate attack at Singapore deteriorates to a 0:1 costing Miller 1278/41/8 to 862/12. His troops must be tired. A Dutch sub picks up a few men from a Brit Air HQ to evacuate them to India.

1/21 - Bombardments at the usual places.

Where is the KB?

When will Singapore fall (probably within the week)?

Where will the next thrust be - India? Pearl? DEI? NG?

[Canoerebel]

1/22 and 1/23/42

Small Craft: Subs quiet.

Burma: Pressure against Moulmein increasing - a second Japanese division arrives. These two divisions (55th and 33rd) are opposed by two brigades. Miller should be able to easily take the hex now, but only bombards. I spend more time working on the main line of defense (Aykab/Mandalay/Ledo). On the 22nd, 15 Nells escorted by 9 Zeros hit the harbor at Rangoon. 15 AVG down one Zero and lose one in defense. The Nells put 3 TT into AK Coquina. I lost 3 AK in resupplying Rangoon, but levels are sufficient to support Moulmein and surrounding areas for as long as I can hold them now.

Singapore: Daily bombing raids include 175 Helen from Kota Bharu, but the infantry hang back and only bombard. I think the next shock attack should crack the defences sufficiently to seal the fortress's fate.

DEI: B-17 raids from Soerabaja prompted Miller to send repeated, large bomber strikes from Kuching. I've transfered most of the surviving B-17s to Palembang. In a few days they'll strike against one of Miller's (probably undefended) airbases near Singapore and then move on to Rangoon or points NW.

Manila: Allied fighters are nearly wiped out by a series of huge raids over the past week. I'm tempted to pull out the pathetic remnants before Miller shuts down the airfield, but I'll give it one more turn. I sent the PBY squadron to a base in the middle PI and the remaining Bolos (9) went to Bataan a week or so ago. On the 22nd they put 3 bombs in AP Yosyu Maru and single bombs into AP Tenyo Maru and AK Shingstu Maru.

Midway: Part of the 161st RCT arrives from Seattle.

Pago Pago: Part of the 40th Division arrives from Southern California and the Field Artillery unit originally in Suva is redeployed here.

KBs: No sign of them anywhere. They are likely in the Home Islands or steaming east from the South China Sea towards CenPac or SouthPac.

US CVs: Hornet arrives and joins Yorktown in Panama City. Two other CVs are on the West Coast. Enterprise is in Melbourne.

Allied Defense Plans: Right now I plan to concentrate on Pago Pago and Pearl Harbor with smaller garrisons at Midway, Canton, and Palmyra (and possibly Suva). Aussie/Kiwi defenses will concentrate at Melbourne/Sydney/Brisbane. I have a brigade at Noumea and advanced positions at PM and Rabaul. I will only reinforce the latter if Miller is fully focused far away (India, etc).

China: Miller isn't applying real pressure yet. Do I have sufficient forces to go on the offensive? I'm unsure and will wait until I have a better feel for things. Changsha forts now 9 so I'm building up the airfield.

Where will Miller's next big strike come? I confess I don't know. I have an idea how to defend the Pacific and Australia/NZ based upon my experience in Uncommon Valor, but I don't have a clue how to handle India and China. The British 18th Division arrived in Aden and is now being deployed to Karachi. I don't know where to send it from there. I may keep it in the vicinity in case of attack against Karachi/Bombay; or I may decide to send it towards Mandalay.

[Canoerebel]

1/24/42 to 1/27/42

[Canoerebel]

1/28 and 1/29/42

Small Craft: I-168 sinks after hitting a mine in Pearl Harbor. RO-62 sinks AK Barwon with 4 TT. I-20 puts two torpedoes in DD Van Ghent at Pearth - she's in danger of sinking. S-KXV torpedoes TK San Pedro near Kuching. 2 PTs ambush a large merchant TF near Luzon and score one torpedo hit vs. PC Shonan Maru.

Malaya/Burma: Deliberate attacks against Singapore result in 1330/21/6 and 1625/24/4 vs. 1374/31 and 1113/37. Singapore should falls soon. Forts have fallen two levels to 3. Moulmein falls to a deliberate attack on the 29th. The defenders fall back behind the river where two other brigades are stationed.

Phillipines: Bolos from Bataan score a single hit on AP Ryotaku Maru. I've transferred one element of the AVG to Manila from Kunming hoping to ambush Miller's next huge air raid. Manila is undergoing daily bombardments, but nothing worse. I still hold Cagayan.

KB: A large CV TF is just west of Batavia and includes Hiryu. With the KB (or a big part of it) so far away, I'm tempted to launch a raid against the 2nd SNLF force at Baker Island. But I don't have the means to get in and get out quickly, so I'm not sure I'll carry through with it.

US CVs: A Devastator on patrol out of SF spots a sub, thereby informing Miller where at least one US CV is located.

Aircraft: Miller has lost about 60 more aircraft to date (825 to 765). He's expressed some frustration, and I'm pleased with the Allied pilots thus far.

[Canoerebel]

1/30/42

Small Craft: I-7 sinks TK Pleiodon at Trincomolee with 3 TT; DD Van Ghent goes down in Pearth Harbor, succumbing to yesterday's torpedoing.

KB: A large Japanese task force, almost certainly the KB (or part) is sighted near Christmas Island, well south of the straits between Sumatra and Java. Is this merely a late gambit to strike the southerly shipping escape lanes? If so, there's not a thing anywhere close by. Or is Miller preparing to strike west towards India, or east toward southern Java or Australia?

Malaya: 3 BBs and assorted CAs and DDs bombard Singapore inflicting 2124/21. A deliberate attack at 1:1 reduces forts to 2. Miller loses 919/27/3 to 743/26. I expect Singapore to fall tomorrow unless he rests his troops.

China: Continues quiet. What's Miller thinking here? B-17s from Kunming strike the airfield at Bangkok but only destroy a couple of aircraft. Chinese bombers hit a few Japanese posts including 55th Division one hex from Changsha, and the Hanoi garrison. Light damage as usual.

Phillipines: Miller rested his planes darn it, but there was enough going on to generate reports that an AVG element is now based at Manilla.

India: With Singapore's fall imminent, and with our house rule that Japanese ships couldn't sail past the fortress until it fell, and with the KB patrolling near Christmas Island, I send alot of merchant shipping in Ceylon and the eastern Indian ports over to the western side of the subcontinent and Aden. Similarly, CVL Hermes and a few escorts are sent west.

[Canoerebel]

1/31/42 and 2/1/42

Malaya: On the 31st, another large bombardment TF (with 4 BBs) hits Singapore doing 1397/19. Miller follows with a deliberate attack which turns out oddly. With all forces attacking at 0:1, Miller loses 157/3/5 to just 32/2 for the Allies. Why such light casualties? On the 1st, Miller rests his troops, which only lob artillery shells into the besieged fortress city.

South China Sea: My MVP sub Truant torpedoes AK Katugi, which sinks. Katugi is part of a large TF in the South China Sea carrying the 38th Division. The Mini-KB is sighted nearby. With the KB to the south, and a large invasion TF and the Mini-KB here, Miller looks to be making a move toward the DEI or vicinity. Once again, it seems that CenPac and SoPac will remain quiet.

Burma: Miller's advance eschelon remains in Moulmein. Will he advance his two divisions across the river, or try something round about?

India: I-4 sinks MSW Cromer (part of an ASW task force) in Diamond Harbor; I-6 torpedoes TK Empire Onyx off the Ceylon Coast. More Allied ships head west. On the 1st, I learn that I have to withdraw two more DDs and a CL.

China: Bombing by 10 B-17s costs the 3rd Division 103/1.

Phillipines: Miller rests his aircraft both days - a big change in tactics for him. This may be frustration at the large numbers of losses he had incurred.

CenPac: I have most of a division at Pago Pago, most of a RCT at Midway, and RCTs heading to Palmyra and either Johnston or Canton Islands. The 2nd Marine Division is in San Diego prepping for Noumea. That may be too forward a base, but I'll see how things develop. If Miller makes a move toward India, I want to apply pressure in Cen- and SoPac.

Intel: Reports of the 23rd Division at Heiko and the 7th at Sapporo.

Strategic Situation at the end of January: With Singapore and Manila still in Allied hands, it seems that Miller is still focused on that area. Allied losses have thus far been light. I just read the Moses/J.Wilkerson AAR and relived the nightmare of suddenly losing large quantities of U.S. CVs. That's something I did regularly in Uncommon Valor. Nearly two months into this game all Allied CVs are intact (currently in port and the only one with any SYS damage is Enterprise, and that's just 2 points), a big improvement over my past performances.

[Canoerebel]

2/2/42 to 2/4/42

Malaya: Combat TF with 3 BBs hits Singapore on the 3rd: 1394/19. Deliberate attacks on the 3rd and 4th succeed in reducing forts to zero. Surely Singapore will fall tomorrow. Miller has alot of ships at sea in the area. I wonder if he's preparing to sail past the fortress and head to Burma or India. I'm worried about India since I'm not sure how to defend her. Lots of ports with little or no defense. On the 2nd, 30 B-17s from Kunming score one hit against an AK in Rangoon Harbor.

Phillipines: I finally - and to my regret - get combat over Manila. The AVG got eaten up. On the 2nd, 11 P40s and 21 Curtis face 88 Zeros and 200+ other aircraft. Seven Zeros and 2 other Jap planes are downed against 12 P40 and 16 Curtis. I promptly move the remaining Curtis fighters back to Kunming. Massive strikes on the 3rd and 4th annihilate the remaining craft and shut down the airfield. The only bright spot is that the Bolos from Bataan score a single hit against an MSW.

Small Craft: ASW sink RO-60 at Townsville and ASW at Colombo score seven depth charge hits vs. I-7. I-172 torpedoes MSW Bunbury near Trincomalee doing moderate damage. I25 torpedoes BB Revenge at Panguin. I send the injured BB to Aden along with CVL Hermes and other combat ships. S-38 torpedoes an AK near Camranh Bay and Sculpin socres a hit on TK Kaijo Maru in the South China Sea.

Borneo: Miller has taken quite a few small bases over the past week including Bandjermasin and a couple of island bases just north of Palembang.

New Guinea: Miller has taken a couple of small bases (including Madang) on the north coast, but this seems to be a backwater.

KB: Not seen since that sighting near Christmas Island about five turns ago. Could well be getting dangerously close to Ceylon. I'm worried.

Intel: 116th Division at Foochow.

Miller-Type Invasions: Miller has experience organizing humongous, well-coordinated invasions from our Uncommon Valor days. I recall several against Luganville. My hunch is that he's organizing just such an excursion aimed at India. We'll see. If so, I'm glad I have the 18th Division at Karachi rather than isolated on Ceylon.

[Alfred]

Canoerebel,
 
I take it that 2 out of the 3 forelorn hopes made it back to Pearl Harbour.  How are they currently doing.  Their escape was quite inspiring.
 
Alfred

[Canoerebel]

Two of the three Forlorn Hopes (ships that left Manila Harbor and sailed north around Luzon in a seemingly suicidal effort to escape destruction) made it to Pearl Harbor unscathed. MSW Whipporwill has no damage and is ready for action. AK Corregidor arrived with 91 Sys damage that is already down to 78. The third - another MSW - was east of Tokyo and heading for Alaska when she was sunk by Kates.

All damaged US BBs are in West Coast ports. The US now has eleven BBs (none were sunk in Pearl). Here's the damage situtation for thus hit in the sneak attack: Arizona (84 Sys), Tennessee (75), Maryland (70), Nevada (18), West Virginia (57), Pennsylvania (56), and Oklahoma (63). Of the undamaged BBs, two are in Panama City, one in Seattle, and one at Pearl.

Here's the situation around Singapore on 2/4/42:

[Canoerebel]

2/5/42
 
Malaya:  After putting up a long, game fight, the Allied forces in Singapore surrender.  [:(] The day began with a large bombardment TF hitting the fortress (1482/15) and then a deliberate attack took the city at 3:1 odds.  38,000 Allied troops are POWs.  The Mini-KB, alot of combat ships, and a boatload (pun intended) of transports is in the area and heading up the Sumatra Straits - either toward Rangoon or India me thinks.  Don't know where the KB is - my hunch is approaching Ceylon, but I'm bad at hunching.
 
Phillipines:  The last Allied stronghold in bordering the South China Sea - Manila and Bataan should hold for a few more weeks I hope.
 
Small Craft:  I-1 sinks AK Jalapalaka off Ceylon; I-173 puts 3 TT into AP Zealandia at Suva.
 
Situatation:  If Miller heads toward India in force, I'm going to have my hands full.  Brit 18th Division is at Karachi, but other than that India looks to my inexperienced eyes like wide open country with few defenders.
 
 

[Canoerebel]

2/6/42

India:  An Allied ship off Ceylon reports a Jake.  I expect this to be the KB arriving as I had feared.  I have some vulnerable Allied merchants in the area although I evacuated most several turns ago.  I left a skeleton force behind to handle logistics if the KB didn't show up here.  CA Exeter, making a break for it, hove to in Mangalore and was promptly torpedoed twice by I-25.  She suffers moderate damage and I order her to vacate port for Aden pronto.

Small Craft:  Seadragon torpedoes CVL Ryujo in the Sumatra Straits, but the missile doesn't detonate.  Miller has lots of forces in and to the NW of Singapore.  A gathering storm ready to break in the Bay of Bengal.

Phillipines:  Another massive air strike against Manilla with smaller strikes elsewhere.  Miller's ground troops bombard. 

China:  Nothin' cookin'.

2nd Marine Division:  Prepping for Noumea since turn one of the game, I begin loading this unit onto transports.  If the KB is in the Bay of Bengal, I want to bring some pressure to bear somewhere and shore up my defenses elsewhere as best I can.  Depending on what's going what's going on I could send them somewhere else - New Zealand, Australia and Pago Pago are possibilities.  A strike vs. Baker Island is a remote consideration.

Allied Defense:  If Miller attacks India, I'll try to apply pressure in China and somewhere in CenPac or SouthPac.  Unless I know precisely where a majority of the KB is I won't use the American CVs.  I'm not sure how to defend India, but I'm looking forward to doing my best to figure something out.  That's one of the pleasures of being new to the game - none of this is old yet.

[Canoerebel]

2/7/42
 
The KB arrives just off the eastern tip of Ceylon.  Two major sorties hit shipping in Colombo - 138 Kates (12 destroyed by flak) damage 4 AK, 1 AP, and 2 PG; 62 Vals hit 3 AK; scattered smaller sorties venture out against two damaged AKs northeast of Trincomolee and somehow don't sink them (yet).
 
USA:  With all (or most) of the KB accounted for and on the other side of the world, the Allies begin moving.  In addition to 2nd Marine Division, which began loading yesterday, the Marine CD unit and parachute battalion begin loading.  I'm still not certain where they are going (although all have been prepping for Noumea).  All US CVs (except Enterprise which is far away in Australia) and most West Coast combat ships will rendezvous in San Francisco.  Several large supply convoys begin loading in San Fran. 
 
CenPac:  ML Oglala will venture outside of Pearl Harbor for the first time, heading to Midway along with 5 DDs serving as escorts.
 
Phillipines:  Quiet this turn (ground troops bombard Manila, but no air strikes).
 
Small Craft:  Japanese MSW sinks after hitting a mine in Camranh Bay.  KXVIII torpedoes an AP (not carrying troops) near Singapore; O-19 sinks PC Ch 8 near Singapore.

[aztez]

Hmmm. KB at Ceylon... Japanese moving towards India? [&:]
 
I doubt he has strenght to do it yet though. (Allthough you never can be sure)

[Alfred]

Canoerebel,
 
The Dutch O-19 and O-20 submarines may be more useful as minelayers rather than ship hunters.
 
Alfred

[Canoerebel]

2/8/42
 
The KB moves to the east of Ceylon a few more hexes and doesn't launch any air strikes.  If I can account for the whereabouts of most of Japanese aircraft carriers, and if they are indeed operating in the Bay of Bengal, I may launch Operation Carya Tomentosa, the invasion of Wake Island.  The objective will be to seize the island so that Miller will have to retake it, thereby adding one item to his list of things to do.  I would quickly evacuate most of my invasion force.  I don't want or expect to hold Wake.  With the KB out of the way, the biggest risk would be surface combat with elements of the Japanese fleet.  The invasion will be covered by at least four US CVs.  While this was going on, I might also reinforce Rabaul with an additional brigade, and possibly even try to seize a few of the little bases Miller took in the Solomons and NG, the objective being to add a few more things to his to-do list.  I realize this could turn out to be an excellent way to lose my aircraft carriers and or an invasion force.  I'll give this more thought over the coming days.
 
Small Craft:  My Hero Sub Truant torpedoes CA Chokai east of Singapore, but the fish fails to detonate.  I-1 sinks one of the already-damaged merchants hit by the KB yesterday.
 
Sub Operations:  Alfred's comment regarding the O-19 and O-20 got me to thinking about how I've been employing the Allied sub-fleet.  From the beginning I've used a fair part of the Manila-based subs in minelaying operations, mostly in the South China Sea, East China Sea, and Japan itself. Right now, for instance, I have 22 subs operating in the South China Sea, 9 of which are on minelaying duty.  I also have a few minelaying subs operating from Trincomalee and Pearl Harbor.  I've employed many of the subs with "short legs" (8000 endurance or less) in that capacity, but not all of them.

[Canoerebel]

2/9/42

Bay of Bengal: The KB moves further east, half-way between Ceylon and Andaman Island. A host of other TFs (combat and troops ships) are moving up the straits between Sumatra and Malaya. My hunch is that Miller will land at Akyab or vicinity. I'll have to pull my defense forces back from Rangoon and vicinity. If he seizes Akyab, can I still try to hold a line at Mandalay?

DEI: Two large bomardment TFs hit Palembag, accounting for five Japanese BBs and a host of CAs. Glad to know where they are. I need to open a new game and see how many BBs and CVs the Japanese begin with (I've never played the Japanese side) and then compare that to what I know is in the South China Sea and Bay of Bengal. That will figure greatly in what I do next.

Operation Carya Tomentosa: If most of the KB is in the Bay of Bengal, I'll proceed with my planning to annoy Miller on his eastern perimeter. I like the idea of hitting Wake Island. I begin moving some combat ships from Australia to New Zealand to be in a position to support any move I make to strike NG or the Solomons or to reinforce Rabaul.

China: I don't really know what Miller has in Canton, but I'm going to send several corps and divisions (perhaps as much as 1500-2000 AV) and find out. I have no clue what the balance of power is in China, but Miller has been quiet so I want to conduct a few probes.